Long file paths...

6 Jun 2009 12:28 AM

Harrison Midkiff

Hello:

I have a bit of a problem on my file server. My users love long file names
and routinely create folders with big names. As you know this is feature of
windows. The problem I have is the file paths are over 260 characters which
is a built in limitation. Recently had to migrate data from an old server
to a new one and had to complete this manually due to all the errors I was
getting from any utility I tried.

Long file names are inevitable on a file server. What is the best way to
deal with this? Should I alert my users and tell them to aviod long file
names? Is there a utility?

Harrison Midkiff

6 Jun 2009 5:10 AM

Pegasus [MVP]

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"Harrison Midkiff" <HMidk***@aviinc.com> wrote in message
news:ewpb52j5JHA.1528@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...
> Hello:
>
> I have a bit of a problem on my file server. My users love long file
> names and routinely create folders with big names. As you know this is
> feature of windows. The problem I have is the file paths are over 260
> characters which is a built in limitation. Recently had to migrate data
> from an old server to a new one and had to complete this manually due to
> all the errors I was getting from any utility I tried.
>
> Long file names are inevitable on a file server. What is the best way to
> deal with this? Should I alert my users and tell them to aviod long file
> names? Is there a utility?
>
> Harrison Midkiff

You can use the latest version of robocopy.exe to migrate long file names.
It can cope with them. You also need to tell your users to put their
informatiion *into* the files, not into the file/folder names.

9 Jun 2009 6:59 PM

Mark F

On Fri, 5 Jun 2009 20:28:31 -0400, "Harrison Midkiff"
<HMidk***@aviinc.com> wrote:

> Hello:
>
> I have a bit of a problem on my file server. My users love long file names
> and routinely create folders with big names. As you know this is feature of
> windows. The problem I have is the file paths are over 260 characters which
> is a built in limitation. Recently had to migrate data from an old server
> to a new one and had to complete this manually due to all the errors I was
> getting from any utility I tried.
>
> Long file names are inevitable on a file server. What is the best way to
> deal with this? Should I alert my users and tell them to aviod long file
> names? Is there a utility?

I usually had errors when trying to move a disk to a subtree on
other disk.

For example I would try to move \\MACHINE\\D:\ to D:\MACHINE\DISKD\

I was able to get rid of most of the problem by using a virtual
disk for the new disk.

I don't think that this completely solves the problem of pathnames
being too long in general, but it took care of myself and my
users.

(I then make the users responsible for moving their files from the
virtual disk to their own area in a timely manner.)
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>
> Harrison Midkiff
>

12 Jun 2009 7:46 AM

letterman

On Fri, 5 Jun 2009 20:28:31 -0400, "Harrison Midkiff"
<HMidk***@aviinc.com> wrote:

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>Hello:
>
>I have a bit of a problem on my file server. My users love long file names
>and routinely create folders with big names. As you know this is feature of
>windows. The problem I have is the file paths are over 260 characters which
>is a built in limitation. Recently had to migrate data from an old server
>to a new one and had to complete this manually due to all the errors I was
>getting from any utility I tried.
>
>Long file names are inevitable on a file server. What is the best way to
>deal with this? Should I alert my users and tell them to aviod long file
>names? Is there a utility?
>
>Harrison Midkiff
>

A while back I saved a web URL as a link. When I was moving some
files to another partition, it refused to move one link that was too
long. I found it, and it was rediculously long, probably 1000 char.
Windows refused to let me rename it, move it, or even delete it.
I finally had to use a boot floppy, boot to dos, and delete the
filename when it had the 8+3 dos filename. What a pain in the butt.